Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Video Game Review)

Developer Junction Point Studios introduced the world to a cartoon town known as Wasteland back in 2010 with their release of Disney's Epic Mickey. The world was inhabited by long forgotten toons and reminded longtime Disney fans why they fell in love with Mickey Mouse so many years ago and allowed a new generation to enjoy this classic character in a full length game. With Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, Junction Point continued the story of Wasteland when a new evil arrived to put the toons in danger once again, and the developers vowed to fix the problems contained within the first release the second time around. The new sequel manages to surpass its predecessor with a new game that might not be as epic as its name suggests but is still a really fun game for kids and adults alike.

Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Magic Rabbit make their return in Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two in an all new cooperative adventure. The Mad Doctor from the original title shows up some time after the events of the first game to offer his assistance to Oswald in restoring Wasteland to all its toon glory after the earthquake left the world pretty messed up. However, a new threat known as the Blotworx attacks and causes yet another earthquake just as Mickey returns armed with his trusty paint and thinner brush. The two toons will work together throughout the entire campaign whether in cooperative play or with an AI controlling the second character, and friends such as Mickey's master Yen Sid, Gus and Ortensia will help our heroes throughout the game. The new game features a great storyline that is told with the introduction of new voices for the characters and fantastic musical innuendos that bring Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two alive in true Disney fashion.

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is a platformer at its core, and it doesn't do anything overly impressive to differentiate itself in this regard. You'll solve puzzles, battle with plenty of enemies, repair broken machines, carefully nail perfect jumps and so on, but the introduction of two new inks does change up the pacing a bit. With invisible ink, you'll be able to stealthily sneak past enemy encounters and other undesirable areas, while indelible ink will make the characters temporality invulnerable to environmental hazards and incoming enemy attacks. The game features over 20 hours of gameplay that encourages replayability to complete all of the game's multiple sidequests, and cooperative play is a blast if you've got someone to play couch co-op with you. It's also worth noting that the PlayStation 3 with Move and Wii versions feature great motion controls that make shooting on the run more fun and easier than with a standard controller.

The new worlds of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two exudes Disney nostalgia around every corner and really show off the brilliant design of Warren Spector. You'll love the game for this reason alone, while younger gamers will enjoy the simplistic yet addictive platforming action featured in the game. All of the new features including improved camera controls, introduction of character voices, improved graphics and more are just icing on the cake. Playing through Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is comparable to watching one of the all-time great films from the company, only now you can affect the game's outcome with the decisions you make throughout the course of the game. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is a fun title for the whole family, and you'll want to put a copy of the game under your tree this year not only because you know your kid will love, but you'll also have a lot of fun with it as well. Pick up your copy of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two this holiday season!

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is now available from all major retailers for the MSRP of $49.99 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is rated E by the ESRB for Cartoon Violence. For more information on the game, check out the official Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two webpage.